


Refuse to Settle for Less

by Takada_Saiko



Series: Truth in the Lies [142]
Category: The Blacklist (US TV)
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Tom lives AU, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:00:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27168292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Takada_Saiko/pseuds/Takada_Saiko
Summary: Liz and Tom both have dangerous jobs, but that's not going to change anytime soon.
Relationships: Elizabeth Keen/Tom Keen | Jacob Phelps
Series: Truth in the Lies [142]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/219731
Kudos: 9





	Refuse to Settle for Less

**Author's Note:**

> Requested by MoonstruckSwans on Tumblr. The prompt was: collapse
> 
> Set in a reality where Tom lived and is working for Halcyon.

Rain fell softly outside of the apartment as Liz tucked a drowsy Agnes into bed. The little girl stirred as she leaned over, pressing a kiss against her forehead. "Not sleepy," she protested, the words at odds with the way her eyelids drooped heavily.

Liz quirked an eyebrow, an amused smile tugging at her. "Could have fooled me."

One small hand popped out from beneath the covers and snatched at her. "Wanna wait for Daddy," she protested stubbornly. "He promised to finish the story."

"I know, baby, but he could be really late tonight. I'll make sure he comes in and gives you a kiss goodnight when he comes in. If you're still awake maybe he can finish the story, how's that?"

Those dark blue eyes that were like carbon copies of Tom's studied her before their daughter nodded, finally accepting the compromise. Not that it was much of one. Liz had heard from Kat Carlson earlier that day the Grey Matters team would be delayed. She hadn't specified the _why_ or the _how long_ , but she was usually limited in what she could tell Liz about their cases. What it did mean was that Agnes would very likely be fast asleep by the time her dad got home.

Maybe Liz would be as well.

She kissed Agnes one more time before pulling the door to her room mostly shut. She moved quietly around the apartment, picking up a few stray toys that hadn't quite made it back to their home for the night before showering, checking to find her phone update-free, and finally settling onto the couch for a rare few minutes of reading before bed. She was halfway through her chapter when she heard the front door unlock and she glanced at her phone to see that the only message she had was from Aram asking if she would be up for a team happy hour that next Thursday. Nothing from Halcyon and nothing from Tom.

The door opened and keys hit the bowl on the table just inside with a soft clink before she heard it close again. She waited, watching the point where the hall opened into the living room, and Tom appeared there half a second later. He looked worn and exhausted as he trudged in, fingers trailing along the wall opposite of the bedrooms.

"Hey," she greeted quietly, pulling her husband's attention up, and it became immediately clear that he was more than just tired. Liz popped up on her feet, book forgotten, at the visible scrapes and early signs of bruising that had definitely _not_ been there when he had left out early that morning. "Are you okay?"

"Oh yeah, just a little—" His next step faltered, cutting off whatever he had wanted to say, and Liz jumped forward to help steady him before he crashed to the floor. Tom leaned heavily against her, every muscle taught as she wrapped an arm around his middle and guided him over to the couch. He let himself tilt over once they got there and he collapsed against the cushions with his eyes squeezed closed.

"Oh yeah, you look great," Liz challenged and he cracked an eye open.

"Nothing gets past you, huh?"

"Nope. Do I need to call the hospital?"

"It's not that bad."

"Look me in the eye and say that."

His thin lips tilted up at the corners and he followed her instructions, his gaze fixed on hers. "It's not that bad," he repeated firmly and reached out to her. He waited until she took his offered hand and tugged her in so that she joined him on the couch. Tom sucked in a deep breath and slouched a little further down, his head lulling to rest on her shoulder.

Liz sat there for a long moment and held onto his hand, her thumb running across scraped knuckles. Finally she gave it a gentle squeeze. "Are you going to tell me what happened?"

"Can't get into the details," he answered quietly, and he sounded like he was ready to doze off right there.

"I have faith in you that you can hit the high points without compromising your NDA."

He snorted a laugh. "Guy got away, I went after him, and the beam didn't hold both of us."

"Beam?" she echoed.

"'Cross the break in the floor," he answered unhelpfully as he motioned with his free hand.

Liz pursed her lips as multiple scenarios of what that could have looked like ran through her mind. She wasn't sure she wanted to know, but she needed to. "How far did you fall?"

"Fifteen, twenty feet?"

Well, that could have been worse, depending on how he landed. It didn't look like anything was broken and clearly the adrenaline had worn off by then, which likely meant he was starting to feel every little ache and pain. "Did you see a doctor?"

He shook his head, looking like he regretted it instantly. "I'm fine."

"Tom…."

"Promise," he said softly. "Just tired and sore. _Maybe_ a mild concussion, but it's fine."

"Oh, well if that's all," she groused.

"You know me. I'm a lot tougher than I look."

Liz squeezed his hand again and looked him over more closely now. He was tougher than she could have ever expected when they first met, but just because he was tough didn't mean he was invincible. She had nearly lost him more times than she wanted to count and the idea that he might just…. not come home one night was terrifying. He had good support when he went into the field and she knew he was exceptionally good at what he did, but sometimes the bad guys got lucky. Sometimes the beam wouldn't hold and he went crashing to the floor below.

"Liz?"

She looked up at him, his soft voice startling her out of her thoughts. He was watching her closely and he reached a hand up, his fingers gentle as he stroked her cheek. "I'm okay. I promise. No lies, remember?"

"What if you weren't though?" The words escaped on a breath and she hated that she couldn't swallow them down.

The man she loved leaned forward, his forehead resting lightly against hers. "Something I think about every day you go to work too."

She tried for a reassuring smile and failed. They both had dangerous jobs that made the other worry, but those jobs were a part of who they were. She couldn't ask him to stop any more than he could ask her to. They just had to trust that the other would come home, no matter what.

Tom shifted down to catch her in a kiss. It was sweet at first, gentle, but as it grew a little more desperate between them she let go of his hand so that she could wrap her fingers around the back of his neck, deepening it just a little. When they parted they were both breathless and she was halfway into his lap. He looked up at her, amusement dancing in his eyes. "Wanna head to bed?"

"Yep."

"Just let me peek in on Agnes and I'll be right there."

She toppled off his lap and watched him stand, his movements stiff but a little steadier at least as he walked slowly towards their daughter's room. Liz felt a strange sense of peace push at the fear as he poked his head in to check on the sleeping little girl. It was true, their lives weren't safe and it certainly wasn't easy, but it was worth it to fight for their family. To fight for what they wanted and refuse to settle for less. After everything that they had seen, everything that they had been through together, Liz knew that she could trust that he always would.

Tom turned, finger to his lips in a quiet motion, and he tilted his head toward their bedroom. He didn't need to ask twice as she unfolded from her seat and took his hand, her fingers lacing through his as she held on.


End file.
